Ethereum 2026 Roadmap Changes: Foundation Restructuring, Upgrade Delays, Privacy Becomes the New Focus

Since 2026, the Ethereum ecosystem has entered the most complex adjustment period since the "post-merge" era. From the deep restructuring of the foundation's leadership, to the rescheduling of core protocol upgrades, and the prioritization adjustments of privacy features, this largest global smart contract network is undergoing a systematic reconstruction.

Why has there been intense personnel change at the Ethereum Foundation

Between April and May 2026, at least 6 to 8 core members of the Ethereum Foundation (EF) have left or entered long-term leave, covering key roles in protocol engineering, cryptoeconomics research, and management. The departure list includes former co-executive director Tomasz Stańczak, protocol coordinator Tim Beiko, senior researchers Carl Beek and Julian Ma, as well as veteran members like Josh Stark who were deeply involved in major upgrades such as The Merge and Pectra.

This is not a sudden individual personnel change, but part of a systemic internal adjustment initiated by EF in mid-2025. In March 2026, EF released a 38-page new Mission Statement (Mandate), clearly stating that the foundation's role has shifted from "primary guardian" to "one of many guardians," and plans to gradually reduce its centralized influence. EF even created a meme titled "SOURCE SEPPUKU LICENSE" to demonstrate its self-discipline.

According to community sources, this round of departures is related to disagreements over the Mandate document. There are reports that the foundation required internal members to sign confirmation of the document, and some core members chose to leave if they were unwilling or unable to fully agree with the new strategic direction. Additionally, insufficient compensation competitiveness and high-paying headhunting by new external chains are structural factors driving talent loss.

What changes have occurred at the core developer and institutional funding levels

Behind these personnel changes, observable shifts are also happening in the developer scale and capital flows within the Ethereum ecosystem. Data from Token Terminal shows that the number of core Ethereum developers decreased from 225 in May 2025 to 169 in May 2026, but has rebounded by 63% in the past month. The total number of developers in the entire Ethereum ecosystem is about 9,744, which currently lags behind Solana’s overall developer count.

Meanwhile, capital flows at the institutional level are also noteworthy. Goldman Sachs has reduced its BlackRock ETHA position by about 70%, and Harvard University’s endowment fund has liquidated approximately $87 million worth of Ethereum ETFs. EF itself recently redeemed 21,271 ETH (about $49.6 million) from the Lido staking pool for operational support and asset allocation adjustments. The simultaneous reduction by three different types of participants reflects a cautious attitude in capital markets toward the Ethereum ecosystem at this node.

Why has the Glamsterdam upgrade been delayed from June to Q3 2026

The originally planned activation of the Glamsterdam upgrade in June 2026 is now expected to be postponed to the third quarter of 2026 for mainnet deployment. The core reason for the delay is that the engineering progress of the proposer-builder separation (ePBS) within the protocol has lagged behind expectations.

ePBS is the most structurally significant component of Glamsterdam, aiming to separate block construction and proposal roles at the protocol level, thereby reducing MEV-related centralization risks. However, in actual engineering development, testing of ePBS on multiple testnets still faces interoperability issues between consensus clients and execution clients. As of the April 2026 core developer meeting, the general development network (the first environment where all Glamsterdam components coexist) has just been approved to start, which is a delay from the original schedule.

Glamsterdam will build upon two previous upgrades: Pectra (May 2025) and Fusaka (December 2025). Pectra introduced EIP-7702 account abstraction, and Fusaka implemented PeerDAS data availability sampling, paving the way for scalability goals. After the upgrade, Ethereum’s target gas limit will be set at 3.2B, a significant increase from the current approximately 60 million.

How will this delay affect Ethereum’s competitive landscape

The delay of Glamsterdam puts Ethereum under more direct pressure in competing with similar public chains. Data from May 2026 shows that the weekly DEX trading volume of Ethereum and Solana has approached around $45 billion, with the gap in trading activity narrowing.

From a roadmap perspective, Ethereum and Solana represent two different scaling philosophies. Ethereum adopts a modular layered architecture—mainnet as the settlement layer, with Layer 2 networks handling execution; Solana sticks to a monolithic high-performance approach, handling execution, transactions, and settlement within the same layer. In 2026, Solana continues deploying the Firedancer client, which is running in about 22% of staked nodes, reducing systemic risk from a single client, and completed a major consensus overhaul called Alpenglow in 2025.

For Ethereum, the Q3 window for Glamsterdam means more time for engineering validation of ePBS, but it also deepens internal discussions on the boundaries of L2 scalability and L1 capabilities. Originally, Glamsterdam aimed to signal "L1 can also be faster," but the delay somewhat weakens this immediate message.

What does Vitalik’s proposed Hegotá privacy upgrade specifically target

While Glamsterdam is still progressing, Ethereum’s next major upgrade, Hegotá, has entered the finalization stage of its feature framework. In mid-May 2026, Vitalik Buterin announced a short-term privacy roadmap centered around Hegotá, comprising four main modules: FOCIL, Keyed Nonces, Kohaku, and Private Reads, re-emphasizing privacy protection and censorship resistance as key priorities in the upgrade sequence.

FOCIL (Fork Choice Enforced Inclusion Lists) is a confirmed flagship feature at the protocol layer, designed to force validators to include all valid transactions in blocks, reducing transaction censorship risks at the protocol level. EIP-8250 has also been confirmed to be included in Hegotá, providing users with stronger on-chain privacy options. Additionally, EIP-8141 native account abstraction has entered the "consideration for inclusion" (CFI) discussion stage; if implemented, features like smart accounts and sponsored transactions will receive more systematic support at the protocol level.

Vitalik has publicly stated that Ethereum’s smart accounts are expected to be officially deployed via Hegotá within a year—marking a milestone for account abstraction functions since they were first discussed in 2016. However, the specific timeline for Hegotá remains uncertain and will need to be adjusted based on the launch schedule of Glamsterdam.

How will Ethereum’s upgrade roadmap evolve over the next year

Based on the above, Ethereum’s 2026 upgrade roadmap shows a clear phased progression. In Q3, Glamsterdam will be activated, delivering core features like ePBS and the 200 million gas limit, focusing on resolving block construction and performance bottlenecks at L1. Subsequently, preparations for the Hegotá upgrade will begin, expected to activate around late 2026 or early 2027, emphasizing privacy, censorship resistance, and protocol-level account abstraction.

In the long term, the Ethereum Foundation has launched the "Lean Ethereum" post-quantum cryptography plan, aiming to deploy post-quantum algorithms between 2028 and 2032 to enable the network to resist quantum attacks.

Currently, Ethereum’s upgrade pace has shifted from "big version jumps" to a "more frequent, smaller fork" mode. This change reduces technical risks per upgrade but also raises higher coordination requirements. The personnel changes from the foundation restructuring and the delay in upgrades remain key issues the community continues to monitor.

Summary

The first half of 2026 saw intense and profound personnel changes at the Ethereum Foundation, driven by the Mandate-driven organizational slimming and strategic disagreements among core members. Developer numbers dropped from 225 to 169, and both the foundation and institutional investors have reduced their holdings simultaneously. The Glamsterdam upgrade was delayed from June to Q3 due to ePBS engineering delays, with the 200 million gas limit becoming a core scalability metric. Vitalik emphasizes privacy and censorship resistance features like FOCIL, EIP-8250, and native account abstraction in Hegotá. In terms of public chain competition, Ethereum maintains its lead through modular layered architecture and deep liquidity, but the adjusted upgrade pace presents more direct challenges to its single-chain performance narrative. The key variables ahead are whether the new core protocol team can smoothly take over and whether Glamsterdam and Hegotá can be delivered within their respective windows.

FAQ

What are the key features included in the Glamsterdam upgrade?

Glamsterdam’s core features are ePBS (protocol proposer-builder separation) and the adjustment of the 200 million gas limit. ePBS aims to separate block building and proposing at the protocol level, reducing MEV centralization risks and improving transaction censorship issues. The upgrade will significantly enhance network throughput.

Why has there been a large personnel change at the Ethereum Foundation?

The departure wave is in the context of EF’s organizational restructuring driven by the Mandate, with the foundation aiming to gradually reduce its central role and become "one of many guardians." Some core members have disagreements with the new strategic direction or organizational requirements, leading to their departure. Insufficient compensation competitiveness and external project headhunting are also factors.

What are the main focuses of the Hegotá upgrade?

Hegotá centers on privacy protection and censorship resistance, with key features including FOCIL (forced transaction inclusion), EIP-8250 (privacy enhancement), and EIP-8141 (native account abstraction, still under discussion). Vitalik has indicated that smart accounts are expected to be officially deployed via Hegotá.

What are Ethereum and Solana’s respective advantages in blockchain competition?

Ethereum’s advantages lie in its modular layered architecture, which provides deep liquidity and a rich DeFi and stablecoin infrastructure, with the mainnet’s security and credibility recognized by institutions. Solana’s strength is in its monolithic high-performance architecture, offering low fees and high throughput, suitable for high-frequency trading and consumer applications.

What is the timeline for Ethereum’s 2026 upgrade roadmap?

Glamsterdam is expected to activate in Q3 2026, focusing on ePBS and gas limit increase. The Hegotá upgrade will follow after Glamsterdam, aiming to implement privacy, censorship resistance, and account abstraction at the protocol level. There is ample testing and development time allocated between the two upgrades.